Ear Piercing Types
There are a large number of ear piercing types with the majority of these being made available 'over the counter' so to speak.
In modern society it is now socially acceptable in many circumstances to display a number of these ear piercing types. Gone are the days of social pariah or harshly judgements towards those who display a variety of ear piercings (that being said, I am yet to see a Barrister or government official donning their new helix piercing).
To the right, you will see a diagram showing the various piercings available, while this is not a complete list of ear piercing types, it does provide a visual aid in understanding the various explanations below.
Ear Piercing Types - The ear lobe
This is the traditional ear piercing that boomed in popularity during the late 80's. The ear lobe itself has fewer nerve endings than the rest of the ear and contains no cartilage. While this does not mean that the procedure will be painless - it should, in theory, be substantially less painful than other ear piercing types.
The industrial (also known as the scaffold)
This is a growing trend in ear piercing types and is made up of 2 holes in the upper ear. The first is close to the head near where the ear joins the head and the second is on the outer rim of the ear. There will then normally be a bar placed through the holes with two metal ball bearings on the outside of the ear to stop the bar slipping out - The angle of the jewellery is normally around 40 degrees but varies depending on the shape of the ear.
The Helix
There are a number of various positions that a Helix piercing can be put with one of the more common being the forward helix which is shown above (noted as 'Inner Pinner'). This is simply a piercing through the cartilage touching your head and is usually displayed as a small ball bearing on the outside of your ear (not far off where the side burns as positioned on a man). Again this ear piercing type will often be jewelled with a small bar but with one of the 2 ball bearings being hidden from immediate view by a fold in the ear cartilage.
The rook
This piercing is named after a particular part of the ear. Depending on ear shape, there may either not be a rook in the ear in which to pierce or it may not be protruding enough to be securely pierced. It is very important that if considering this piercing - you go to someone with experience in it since a rook piercing that is not in securely is not only susceptible to tearing but can also stretch the skin (if not placed cleanly in the cartilage) of the ear.
The targus
This ear piercing is located at the opening of the ear within a fairly solid part of cartilage. While this does allow for a secure and robust piercing - it is worth bearing in mind that it can affect the fit of headphones and ear plugs (especially during the healing period).
The snug
This is a similar piercing to the helix (in fact, many people describe this as a form of helix). The positioning itself is actually adjacent to the forward helix but normally uses the same jewel.
The conch
Of all the ear piercing types, the conch is possibly the fastest growing trend of recent years. This piercing is administered inside the ear itself and can be used to provide in a variety of situations. The jewel itself adds a great deal of diversity to this piercing as it will easily allow you to use a small under stated gem to add 'class' all the way up to a large ball bearing (or in many cases a decorated jewel such as a spike).
Further information on ear piercing types
You will find the latest information and pictures of ear piercing types uploaded onto this website with new content being added daily.
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